Snowbird in Flight
by Ravena Wolfborn
Summary: Qrow and Winter meet in a bar and connect. What happens when they start dating? Will they last? Fluff, fluff, a fight, and more fluff. Qrow's PoV
1. Chapter 1

**Everything will be in Qrow's point of view. Everything. He might get a bit mushy sometimes, but 'tis only a man in love. Don't hold it against me if some things are wrong, I'm only a girl. I don't have a key or code to read a man's mind. Sheesh.**

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Chapter 1: Bonding Over Drinks

Sitting in a corner of the run down bar at the edge of town, I down my third, fourth, maybe fifth shot of whisky. I'd forgotten by now. It could be more or less than what I think it is. Being a Hunter isn't all it's cracked up to be. 'If only I could tell my nieces that. But, how am I supposed to destroy all their hopes and dreams?' I signal the barkeep for another shot.

When he delivers them, I sigh deeply. 'Really, what's the point of drinking? My Aura just dulls, and eventually, nullifies the effects anyways.' I down the drink and look up to see a woman sit across from me.

"I hope you don't mind if I sit here. Everywhere else is full." She sits down, putting a high class, expensive bottle of vodka and a shot glass on the table. Her white hair is in a severe bun, and her glacial eyes seem to bore into me. I see the hardships that this woman has faced. I see, in each harsh line in her forehead, as it creases, the depth of her suffering. My heart bleeds for this woman, even without know who she is.

I clear my throat. "No problem." She pours the vodka in the glass and downs it immediately. I just push my glass away, knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea for me to continue my usual stupor-inducing drinking tonight. Who knows what could happen with this woman around. That's not to say that I'd rape her or anything, but the temptation on both of our sides might just have us waking up naked next to each other in a grimy hotel room, and as much as I might like that idea, she doesn't seem like the type.

After a very long moment of awkward silence, I finally speak. "So, what brings you to a place like this?"

She raises her eyebrow at me. "Is this where we engage in meaningless small talk?" She pours another shot and swishes it around patiently.

"I don't know. I've always drunk alone, ya know? I don't know how small talk is supposed to go."

She laughs at my honesty. "Well, for a first timer, you were doing well." She subsequently swigs the drink in her hand. "I'm here to drink my troubles away. Isn't it obvious?"

I rub my chin at her answer. "Not outright to an unobservant person, but I could tell." I sit back in my sit and put my hands behind my head.

"Is that so? How, pray tell, did you discern this of me?"

I'm kind of impressed that she can still think after three shots of that quality and proof of vodka let alone be able to enunciate such posh questions. "Your eyes, mostly."

A look of intrigue overcomes her. "What about my eyes?"

I sigh deeply. 'She asked for this psychoanalysis.' "Well, they're kind of soulless at first glance, ya know. It's like you think of the world and automatically assume that nobody cares. You're probably cynical and snarky beyond belief, and your eyes show that. You've definitely had a hard life. Someone forced you to carry the world on your shoulders, and you just can't seem to let that weight fall burden to someone else." Her reaction is priceless. Her eyes go wide, and a shocked curiosity fills her eyes.

Her mouth opens and closes like she doesn't know exactly what to say. Then, in a very small whisper, she say, "How did you know?"

That whisper carries the weight that crushes my heart. My smug attitude goes away and is replaced by concern. 'The alcohol must be taking effect. She's crying.' "Please don't cry. I can't stand a beautiful woman crying." I hesitantly reach for her, and when I get no resistance, I wipe the tears off her cheeks. This is the beginning of the best thing to ever happen in my life, but I just don't know it yet.

We sit there for hours, just talking about ourselves, our family, and inane little things that have happened to use throughout the day. We both stopped drinking after she had started to cry. I think she noticed the emotional consequences of continuing like she was. And when we part ways, I can't help but wish that it would have never ended, this most wonderful night. Deep down, though, I feel like we'll meet again. And this woman, whose name I didn't even know yet, would change my life forever.

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My week passes by in a blur. I do a few hunts here and there, but I'm essentially just bored throughout the entire week. I don't know why, okay I do, I think, but I've quit drinking so much. I'd go down to that same bar and have a shot of whiskey here or there, but it's not as extensive as it has been. Subconsciously, I think I'm just waiting for that same white-haired beauty to come strutting back in here.

I'm just sitting in my usual seat in the corner, nursing a shot whiskey, when I see a flash of white in front of me. I look up to see _her._ "I hope this seat isn't taken."

Her smile quickens my heart beat, causing me to react like an infatuated schoolboy. I give her a half smile in return. "Nope. Go ahead." I motion for her take the seat. "It's all yours." 'God, I sound ridiculous.'

She laughs, a real laugh not a giggle, and it's one of the most melodic sounds in the world. I have to force my eyes to stay open, lest I bask in it and look like a creep. "Thanks." This time, there's no bottle or glass in her hands, making me look at her questioningly. She realized what I was going to ask even before I speak. "Oh, well, I quit drinking after that night." Her hand goes up to rub the back of her head. "It was… life changing, to say the least." A little lopsided grin lift one side of her lips.

'I need to stop noticing all these little things about her.' "Yeah, it was." I pause for a bit before a realization hits. "You know, we never did tell each other our names. My name's Qrow Branwen. Nice to meet you." I extend my right hand in her direction.

"Winter Schnee, pleasure." She clasps my hand and gives it a firm shake, all the while smiling at me. Her eyes glisten with amusement, for me or the situation I'll never know, but at least they're not so haunted anymore.

I push my half empty shot of whiskey away before standing. "You know, I may be overstepping here, but would you like to go out with me?"

She looks kind of pleased and shocked all at the same time. I cross my fingers that she'll say yes. "Like a date?"

I nod softly. "Yeah, a date." I grin like an idiot at her.

"Sure, why not?" She stands up and walks to the exit. I'm still standing in awe at her saying yes, when she turns around and gives me a laughing grin. "Aren't you coming?"

I shake my head to rid myself of her lingering spell, but I have a feeling that this confounding feeling will never go away so long as I know her, and I'm going to make sure that that's for a very very long time. I walk toward her, and I have a funny feeling that everyone that we just left behind in the bar is laughing hysterically at me.


	2. Chapter 2

**I've decided that I'm going to post these chapters as soon as they're written, whether I've posted something or not today. I mean, I won't have a schedule for this one. They'll just come out when I can get them out, k? Cause Thanksgiving is coming up, andI'll have a lot of time on my hands after finals the week after that. Bear with me, and I believe it'll all be worth it.**

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Chapter 2: First Date

I catch up to her and put my hands in my pockets. "So, what do you want to do?"

She scoffs. "Wasn't this your idea?" She looks off, staring at something in the distance that I don't see.

I rub the back of my head in embarrassment. "Well, yeah, but if I just pick something, I know you won't like it." I glance at her quickly, making sure that she doesn't see my uncertainty. 'I hadn't exactly thought this far ahead. I was just hoping that she'd say yes.'

She sighs deeply in resignation. "What about a movie? I mean, it's probably the only thing we can do this late at night." She shrugs and keeps walking.

I think about it closely, trying to discern if that's such a good idea. I shrug. "Sure. We can do that. What movie?"

She pulls out her scroll and starts to flip through the numerous showings at the local theater. "No. Nope. Not that one. Ew, definitely not. Maybe. No. Maybe. N-Yes! This one." She shoves the scroll into my face, and I'm forced to pull back just to see it. On the screen, highlighted in red lettering, is Grimm Massacre: Invasion. Gory and action-oriented, it's said to be the best movie of the year.

My face lights up. "A woman after my own heart." I theatrically place my right hand over my heart and the back of my left hand to fake a swoon. "I'd love to see that movie! When did it even come out?"

She punches me in the arm, making me wince. "Don't be stupid." Her deadpan voice is countered by the smirk on her lips and the definitely amused gleam in her glacial eyes. "It came out last week. Don't you keep up with what's going on around you?"

I shrug while still rubbing my arm. "I'm in the field most of the time, so I never have time to track the changing scenery of the social world."

She looks at me thoughtfully. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know." She faces away from me and looks at the passing traffic. "What do you even do?"

I stop when she turns around to stare at me. "I'm a Hunter. You know, those guys that go into the field and kill Grimm?" I make a shooting gesture with my fingers, which makes her bust out laughing. Her laughing makes me smile. 'Isn't this such a vicious cycle of mush?'

We resume walking before our conversation strikes up again. "Yes, I know what a Hunter is. I'm a trained Huntress in the Atlas Military. I know too well what field work does a person." The despair in her voice is tangible. I feel my heart squeeze in my chest at her answer, not because of who she is but because of what I know she's had to do. The Atlas Military is known for its strict 'do it at any cost' attitude. In her position, she would have probably had to do horrible things, unspeakable things that are illegal or immoral. She would have had to compromise her own code of ethics to stay within their ranks and not be killed for treason or attrition of her comrades.

My voice catches in my throat, but I manage to whisper out a reply. "I'm sorry." I look into her eyes and see the tears that she's suppressing. I steel myself against the pain that I feel radiating off of her, bombarding my senses and emotions. "You shouldn't…"

She cuts me off with a shake of her head. "We should not speak of such things. It's classified." Just like that, her eyes are dry again. The glare returns to them instantly, shutting me out.

I nod in understanding. "Of course, I understand." I clear my throat and start again. "So, that movie. Let's get going or we're going to miss the last showing tonight." My attempt at nonchalance is an epic failure. You could see through my subject change like the transparent lie it is. Inside, I still feel her pain, her desperation to claw her way from the organization that has made her the way she is.

"Yeah, the movie." Mechanically, we move forward. The moment that we were having before is forgotten, or at least pushed aside. I can feel her tense up every time I get near her now, like she's afraid that I'll condemn her for all the wrongs she was forced to commit. 'But would I, if I truly knew what she has done?' I want to say no, but I know, in my heart, that I could never give a definite answer.

That pain that I felt from her is so similar. It was the sense of loss that pervades the senses. It was the loss of an innocence that you can never get back. She's killed, I can feel it, and she lets that guilt consume her. Her drinking makes sense now. She drinks to rid herself of that stain on her existence, if only for a little while. The alcohol inhibits her ability to analyze every facet of her life and wallow in the self pity and condemnation that she feels every second of every day. It's so similar, yet so different from my own pain. I think about why I began to drink to begin with. 'Summer's death was a big part of it, but it was something more. She and Taiyang were all I had left of my life, beside Ruby and Yang. When Summer died, Tai withdrew into himself and basically shut me out. I took of a little from teaching at Signal a few months back, then I grew lonely, reckless. So, I started taking missions from Ozpin. These missions weren't about Grimm. No, the targets were criminals. These people had death painted across their forehead, and I was the one to deliver it to them. So, yeah, the pain is similar, but it's not the same. I can feel that. She's had to kill innocents.'

I keep my thoughts to myself as we walk to the theater in silence. Her tension starts to ease as the excitement seeps into her. "I can't wait. This is THE movie to see, Qrow!" That's the first time she's said my name, and I'm overcome with joy. The way my name just rolls off of her tongue is like music, beckoning me to her.

I cough into my hand to disguise my horribly concealed awe. "Yeah, can't wait, Winter." 'And there it is, that name that just feels so right coming from my lips.' I smile stupidly at my boyish thoughts, overcome with some weird urge to repeat the name over and over again, but I refrain.

An answering smile appears on her face, even though she probably thinks that it's just from the movie. "Then, let's go! The movie's about to start." She grabs my arm and pulls me after her. We get up to the ticket booth, and I pull out my wallet, asking for two tickets for Grimm Massacre: Invasion.

Winter gives me this weird look, like a 'what are you doing' look. "What? I'm paying for tickets." I hand the boy the money and grab the tickets from his hand.

She shakes her head. "Don't you know who I am?" Her confusion is really just adorable, in a weird kind of way.

I scratch the top of my head. "Um, yeah. You're Winter Schnee, subordinate of General Ironwood in the Atlas Military, daughter of the CEO of the SDC, and, might I say, a drop dead gorgeous woman." I look her up and down to emphasize my last statement.

'She's so cute when she blushes.' I sigh heavily at my out of characteristic thoughts. I've been like this since I first met her. 'What the hell is wrong with me!?'

We enter the building and hand our tickets to the guy standing at the little podium thing. "You know?" She puts her hands on her hips in, I'm hoping, mock anger. "Then, why didn't you let me pay?"

I shrug. "Cause I asked you out. Isn't that, like, the code or something. Shit, I don't know. I just did what I thought was right. I mean, why wouldn't I want to pay for something for you?"

I can see the surprise that my statement brings her. "It's just, most people just assume that I'm going to be the one paying because I'm rich." She shrugs then continues to walk up to the counter to get snacks.

I follow closely behind her. I look at the menu and pick out what I want. "Um, I'll have a medium popcorn, a raspberry slushie, and some sour punch straws." I address Winter. "What do you want?"

She still looks at me curiously, but answers nonetheless. "Can I have a small popcorn, a large cola, and a chocolate bar?" She hesitates on the last one, but I hear her.

"Sure." I give her a smile before turning to the girl at the counter to tell her what Winter just told me. I pull out the Lien to pay, grab our stuff, and make my way to the right theater with Winter not far behind. I stop at the rows of seats and look at her. "Where do you wanna sit?"

She looks up and down the rows, then points toward the back center. "There." I sigh, but let her lead us to wherever she wants. We sit down just as the beginning credits roll on the screen. I hand her her popcorn and settle down for an amazing movie.

About halfway through the movie, I run out of popcorn. I sneak a peek at Winter to see her with a full popcorn bucket and a small smile on her face as she pops a piece into her mouth. 'Did she steal my popcorn when I wasn't looking?' "Did you steal my popcorn?"

Her smile grows wider. "Nope." She pops another piece into her mouth before taking a sip of her drink.

I laugh softly, trying not to disturb the people around us. "Uh huh. Sure." I reach over to pick a piece out of her bucket only to have my hand smacked. "Ow. What? You can take mine, but I can't have one piece of yours?"

She snorts a laugh. "Of course." She waves a dismissive hand at me while I pretend to pout while clutching my hand. We both turned our attention back to the movie just as a really bad scene comes on. The gore and blood makes Winter turn away as she covers her eyes with her hand. 'Maybe seeing this movie was a bad idea. I never would have guessed that she was squeamish.' I frown deeply at her aversion. I do something that I never thought I would have been brave enough to. I grab her hand and squeeze it lightly. She reciprocates and uncovers her eyes to give me a shy smile. 'And maybe it was a perfect idea.'

By the end of the film, Winter has her head buried into my shoulder to hide from the graphic displays on the screen. Our fingers are still intertwined, and I feel like I'm at the top of the world. It's strange that I have to wait for one of the strongest women I have ever met to show me how strong I really am. The end credits roll, and we leave, still holding hands.

"So, how was it?" I ask after we leave the theater.

She lets out a heavy sigh combined with a light chuckle. "It was okay, i guess. There was more… gore than any of the others in the series."

I nod. "Yeah, unfortunately." Then, something hits me. "Where are we even going?" I stop short at my realization.

Winter is forced to stop with me. "Well, I think we should part ways now. I need to get home." She yawns and pulls her hand out of mine.

I rub the back of my head nervously. "Will I see you again?" My voice in so uncertain that it's pathetic.

She leans in and kisses my cheek. "Same time next week?"

All I can do is smile like an idiot and nod as she pastes a confident smile on her face and struts away. Her lingering laugh catches the wind, making it travel to my ears. I take this time to close my eyes and finally bask in that melodious sound.

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 **A/N: Well, yes that happened. :) So, I'm open to suggestions. How should I proceed? Should there be a severe time skip? I think so, or else it'll get boring really fast. Anything is helpful. Favorite, follow, review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, this is my third chapter of the day. Wow, the fluff is tangible in this one. *sigh* I just hope that everything is playing out well. Hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter 3: A Transition Made

Thanks to Winter, I'm back teaching at Signal, helping to mold young minds for the future that most of them never think will come. The graduating class is going to move on to apply for various Hunter academies or jobs pertaining to combat, while those that are still learning will stay here and continue under the guidance of the many capable teachers at this school.

I sigh deeply at the fate awaiting these young minds. None of them ever truly see the world as it is. They see it through rose colored glasses, always imagining the romanticism of the idea of hunting Grimm or taking down dangerous criminals. They'll think like this, but who am I to crush their dreams? They'll do it to themselves all in due time.

I sit in my office, grading papers and watching videos of the combat training that the students are required to participate in. I make notes in files and toil away in a system that I helped to create within these walls.

I sigh again, hoping that this day ends sooner. It's a Friday, and I can't wait for the weekend. A weekend on Patch isn't very exciting, but with Winter involved, anything could happen. Today will mark the second month we've been together, and Winter has something planned. After that first date, I just let her have the reigns for the whole date thing. I mean, It's really not my thing. Planning's more her forte, so I just let her do it. There are the occasions that I plan something special, like, last week, I took her to that rock band concert. It was one of her favorite groups, and she was dying to see it. I'm just surprised that Ironwood even let her off for it, considering his slave driving nature.

Hours later, after tons of paperwork, the one thing I hate about this job, the day is finally done, and I can go home to whatever kooky idea that Winter has cooked up. I pack up, grab my weapon and strap it on my back, and high tail it out of here. The drive back to my place is short. Patch isn't exactly small, but it is an island, so, comparatively, it is small. Date night is usually every week on a Saturday, but tonight's special, at least to Winter, and why would I want to ruin something she's so excited about? I even got her a present.

I walk into the house to see a table set all romantic like, with candles and the whole nine yards. Winter comes out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of something steaming. She apparently sees me and screams, dropping the bowl and shattering it all over the floor. The contents spill everywhere. Ah, she fixed Fettuccine Alfredo, and now I've caused her to waste it all.

She bends down, trying to get it all up. "Look what you've done, Qrow!" She gathers the larger shards of glass and throws them away, then she throws a glyph underneath the pasta and lifts it with ease, depositing it in the trash.

I hold up my hands in surrender. "What I've done?"

She huffs and blows hair out of her face. "Yes, what you've done. I worked really hard on all of this, and then you just had to show up all ninja and scare me half to death." She throws her hands up in the air dramatically.

I chuckle and put my hands down. "Excuse me for subconsciously lowering the volume of my footsteps as I enter my own home."

She shakes her head but can't contain a laugh. "Don't be such a smartass. It might suit you, but there are better things to do."

I walk up to her, confidently strutting. When I reach her, I wrap my arms around her and look into her eyes. The next thing I say probably shouldn't come out of my mouth, but being the arrogant asshole I am sometimes, I say it anyway. "Like you?" My patented smolder gets me hit. "Ow! What was that for?"

She does an about face and returns to the kitchen but not before throwing a comment over her shoulder. "For ruining supper and then trying to seduce me." Her laugh echoes into the dining room, making me close my eyes and bask in the unchanging melody that I love.

I snap out of the trance that she continually puts me in, even after two months of almost constant contact. "Who said I was TRYING to seduce you?" I walk into the kitchen after her. "I'm pretty sure it will work, eventually. So, it's not called trying. It's called a build up of effort that will eventually come into fruition."

This gets a laugh out of her, and I have to restrain myself from falling into that trance again. "Well, take your 'build up of effort' and call in for Chinese takeout. We can probably salvage the garlic bread and salad, but the pasta is ruined." She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose.

I walk up to her and hug her to my chest. "I'm sorry, Win. I didn't mean to ruin your romantic dinner."

"It's fine. It's not the end of the world or anything, so we can just adapt." She shoos me out of the kitchen. "Go make that call, and I'll get everything else ready, okay?"

I leave the kitchen at her insistence, wondering what more there could possibly be. I sigh and make the call for delivery, mentally checking myself when I almost ordered just for me. We've never had takeout together. We've only ever really ate at restaurants or cafés. Those were fun, but this is so much more intimate. I sit on the couch and actually mull this over. We've gotten so much closer in two months than I would have ever imagined. I'm pretty sure that I'm head over heels in love with this enigma of a woman who's currently doing something rather mysterious in my kitchen. This brings me to a question I should have entertained the second I walked into the door to see a table set for two. How the hell did she even get into my house?

I stand up abruptly and make my way toward the kitchen. Before I throw the door open, though, I stop myself. Through the door, I speak to her. "Hey, uh, how exactly did you get into my house, Winter? Did I give you a key?"

From inside, I hear a small thump then, "No, you didn't give me a key." Another thump sounds.

I scratch the top of my head in confusion. "Then, how the hell did you get in?"

A small laugh comes from within. "I picked the lock, of course."

I facepalm, hard. "Winter, my doors are supposed to be incomparable in defenses and impenetrable. What the fuck did you use?"

The door suddenly opens, and her face was suddenly centimeters from mine. An amused glint in her eyes and a playful smile on her lips catch my attention. "I have my ways." She throws her arms around my neck and gives me a gentle peck on the lips. She separates us, and we look into each other's eyes. Now would be a perfect time to tell her that I love her, but is it too soon? Does she feel the same way? I mean, I know she likes me, but does she love me? A panic overtakes me, and I decide against it. I lean in for a deeper kiss. As soon as I touch my lips to hers, the doorbell rings, signalling the arrival of the Chinese delivery person.

"Ugh! Why now!?" She lets me go so I'm free to answer the door.

When I get there, I see a teenage boy holding a bag of white boxes with Chinese lettering. His just developing, teenage voice squeaks out, "Thirty-seven ninety-four, sir."

I pull out forty Lien and hand it to the kid. "Keep the change." The frustration leaks out, and I slam the door in his face. "Godsdamnit!"

I walk into the dining room and set the bag on the table and start to pull the boxes out. Winter comes from behind and wraps her arms around my waist and lays her head on my shoulder. I sigh at her actions and place my hand atop hers. "Qrow, don't take your frustration out on random teenage delivery boys."

I smile and shake my head at her words. "Yes, dear."

"And don't be so condescending." I can feel the smile tugging at her lips.

I spin around to face her and place my hand on her cheek. I bring my face closer and closer to hers until I'm but a breath away from her. "Of course, pet." My lips connect with hers in a slow, gentle kiss. The longer I hold the kiss, the more heated it becomes. I trace my tongue over her lips, requesting permission to enter. Her mouth opens, and her tongue meets mine. Just then, a ringing is heard. I'm reluctant to pull away from her, but she pushes me a few inches away.

She reaches into her pocket to pull out her scroll. The message on the screen reads classified, from Ironwood. I curse that man in my mind. He has to ruin everything! She looks at me and shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I have to go." She picks up her coat and starts for the door.

I grab her hand to hold her back. "Wait, before you go, I need to give you this." I pull out a small, white, velvet box from my pocket.

She takes it hesitantly in her hands and opens it. She takes the small, white gold chain between her fingers and holds it up to the light. I smile when I see a sparkle in her eyes and her lips curling upward. "The necklace is beautiful, Qrow. Thank you."

My smile grows even wider. "It's not just a necklace. It's a locket. Open it."

She finds the tiny clasp on the side of the circular piece of gold and flicks it open. Inside there's two pictures. On the left side is a picture I had to spend time searching for. It's a picture of her and Weiss, both smiling widely. On the right is a picture of us from our third date. We were both laughing when it was taken, so we have huge, open mouthed smiles, looking like we were having the time of our lives. Tears form in her eyes as she stares at her gift. I start to panic, thinking I had done something wrong, before she looks me in the eye and says, through her tears, "Thank you, Qrow. Thank you."

She hugs me tight, and all reservations I had earlier flees. I pull her away from me and look deeply into her icy blue eyes. "I love you. Be safe." I gently kiss her on the lips before pulling away with a smile. Her shocked expression doesn't phase me at all. I grab her coat, put it into her hands, and push her toward the door. "Go, Ironwood needs you. Be safe, and come home." I push her out the door and shut it. Leaning against the door, I hear a very faint whisper, but it sounds like, "I love you, too." And with that, the euphoria sets in, and I go enjoy the takeout that should have been a dinner for two.

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 **A/N: That was kinda unexpected, huh? This is just the beginning, though! Think of the fluff and conflict to come! I am on a roll. It seems that if I put aside combat as a necessary piece of the story, I can just write romance. Who knew!? Anywho, favorite, follow, review. That's what I'd do!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize in advance for this chapter, but it has to happen. Things that need to happen happens. No spoilers.**

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Chapter 4: Subtlety is Not Her Forte

It's been one whole week since the last time I'd seen Winter and told her I love her. I mean, she calls me every night and we talk for a little bit, say I love yous, and all, but it's not the same. I want to kiss her and hold her in real life. There's only so many phone conversations that a man can take before going crazy.

I sit on the couch and flip through channels, trying to find something to watch. "News. News. Soap. News. Winter. News." I shake my head. "Winter?" I flip the channel back to see a news broadcast with Winter as the main topic. I turn it up.

"And in other news, we have an exclusive report from an anonymous tipper that one Winter Schnee, once heiress of the SDC and daughter of one of the most powerful man on Remnant, has been disowned by her father and dishonorably discharged from the Atlesian Military." A picture of Winter flashes across the screen. The picture depicts a very angry looking Winter attacking an Atlesian officer.

I stand up suddenly. "What the fuck? What happened?"

The announcer goes on. "Apparently, Winter turned on the man suddenly, with no obvious provocation. She was promptly arrested by military police and imprisoned for three days before a military trial was conducted. The judges found found her guilty, but she was given a choice between Atlesian Military prison or a dishonorable discharge due to her past years of dedication and obedience to her superiors within service to her kingdom." The news lady ruffles some papers around and continues. "And, concerning the new Faunus rights activity…" I turn off the tv.

I run my fingers through my hair while pacing the floor madly. "This is bad. This is very bad. Why didn't she tell? Doesn't she trust me?" Running my hands down my face, I think about why she would have attacked the man. She has never assaulted someone for no reason. There has to be something more, something that the courts or officer won't divulge. I shake my head. The only thing I can do is wait for her to contact me again, then I'll ask her.

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I wake up to my scroll going off. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I answer it. On the screen, WInter pops up, and a sleepy smile appears on my face. "Hey babe." I shake my head to try to get rid of the lingering fuzziness in my head. "Winter, what are you doing?"

Her eyes are half-lidded, and I can tell that she'd been crying. "Qrow…" Her voice is so low that I barely hear her. "Qrow, I need you." Her voice is slurred a bit, and I can tell that she's been drinking.

I mentally facepalm at her irresponsibility. "Where are you?" My voice is soft. She gets sensitive, and I don't know any other way to describe it, when she drinks, so I try to keep calm and just speak softly.

She sniffles and rubs her eye. If this wasn't such a weird and urgent situation, I would probably think that was cute. "Um, at that, uh, bar. I think." She looks around and then back at the screen. "Yep. I'm at that place, um, bar?" I shake my head and can't help but smile at her oblivious nature that only ever tends to show through when she gets drunk. Then, reality crashes down, and I frown. She's not supposed to be drinking.

I jump off the couch, where I had fallen asleep, and grab my coat and keys. "I'm on the way, Win. Don't go anywhere."

She gives a shaky smile. "M'k. See you soon." Then, she hangs up.

I sigh deeply and crank up the car, pulling out of the driveway. I've got to get to the airships as quickly as possible to make it to Vale. "Godsdamnit! What the hell was she thinking when she decided to get drunk! Ugh." I hit the steering wheel with the palm of my hand. But I calm down, remembering what happened yesterday. "Oh, that's why." I sigh, and concern consumes me. The military was her life. What else could I expect her to do?

I arrive at the airship field and get a ride on a departing bullhead. I'd made it just in time to take it because it's the last one out for the night. The ride is quiet. Only two or three people are on it, plus the pilots. The entire time, my mind is running different scenarios for why Winter attacked that man.

The first is the least plausible. Winter just got mad and attacked for no reason. That is so out of character for her that I dismiss it immediately. Another explanation is that the guy could have made a sexual advance toward her. My anger spikes for just a second before I realize something. That would really explain the anger, but I highly doubt she would have just attacked him outright. She would have gotten a subtle revenge on the man instead of being direct about it.

I rub my eyes with the heels of my palms. I can't imagine her, even with that cocky temper of hers, doing anything like that for anything less than a threat on the life of one of the ones she loves. I feel a surge of anger at that scenario could explain the violent outburst in public. No one threatens Weiss, even in an offhand manner. I wouldn't blame her if that were the reason. I'd do the same for Ruby and Yang, and any of their friends whether or not I know them.

The bullhead touches down, and I stand. Making my way off, I begin the long walk to the bar that I assume Winter is at. Judging by her usually unchanging habit of doing everything the same every single time, she has to be at the bar that we met at. There's no other one that I know of that she frequents, or used to frequent. I sigh at the expense I'm willing to undergo for this woman, but there's no going back. I'd truly do anything for her, won't I?

I walk for about thirty minutes before I arrive at the bar. I throw the door open and search for Winter calmly. I sigh when I see her passed out in the corner, our corner. Walking over, I assess her current condition. It looks like she hasn't had a proper bath in a week, and the drinking she's done doesn't help her condition. I shake my head at their obvious disregard for her health. Damn them. Damn them all. I pick her up carefully, positioning her bridal style in my arms. I had no idea that she was so light, but the proof is currently in my arms. I look down at her face and sigh. Bruises line her jaw and cheek, marking them with blue and yellow. The evidence of abuse makes my blood boil in rage, but I force myself to contain it. No one has a right, not even I, to touch such an angel. I realize that she's trained for combat, but every instinct within me, bred out of pure protectiveness of the woman in my grip, screams for me to enact revenge upon the moronic souls that deigned to touch such an angel as Winter.

I chuckle to myself at such a mental exclamation. Winter is definitely no angel, not with her temper and unholy wrath, but I feel differently. Nothing could ever compare to Winter, no one could ever compare. If not for my grip, I would have swept the hair from her face, but as I have to hold her upright lest she fall, that won't exactly work. So, I just use my imagination to do it for me. It's hardly effective, but it eases something in my soul.

She groans, moving her head side to side frantically. I coo at her, trying to calm her, but it doesn't work. She comes awake, thrashing about. She makes me drop her, but I dive to catch her head before it hits the concrete of the sidewalk. Her eyes fly open as her body connects with the concrete, and she lets out a yelp of pain.

She blinks a couple of times then looks at me. "Oh, hey bird-boy." She gives me a crooked smile, one that still makes my heart flutter.

I smile and shake my head at her greeting. "Hey, Win. You gonna get up?"

She looks down at herself like she just realized that she's on the ground. "Oh, yeah. Could you help?" I grab her hand and pull her to her feet. She's less wobbly than I expected, but that's probably due to her excess Aura that's ridding her body of the alcohol's effects.

I take her hand and pull her closer to me, throwing my arm around her waist to help support her. "Well, love, you wanna talk about what happened?"

She looks at me in surprise. "Which what are you referring to?"

We start to walk toward the airfield. I shake my head at her attempt to be nonchalant about the whole ordeal. "Let's start with the whole 'attacking an officer' thing." I can feel the anger just under the surface, trying to escape, but I beat it down and roll my shoulder in an effort to calm myself.

She downcasts her eyes, looking at the ground as we walk. "Oh, that." I hear her take a deep breath and exhale. "I don't know if I should tell you."

I stop us and take her face in the hand not around her waist. "Please, help me understand." I look her deep in the eyes and see the tears gathering there.

She sniffles, which seems to only ever really happen when she drinks. "They didn't believe me. Why would you?" She forces her face out of my hands and turns away from me.

I'm shocked at her words. "Why the hell would you say that!? I have nothing but faith in you!" I know I'm yelling, and I really shouldn't be, but this woman is getting under my skin. She starts to walk away when I asked a legitimate question and want to actually understand! I take a deep breath and try again. "Wait! I didn't mean to yell." I grab her wrist.

Her voice is a bit muffled, probably from clenching her teeth. "Let. Go." Her body is shaking with anger, at me and probably at that officer and more.

"No. Help me understand. Let me know why so that I can judge for myself whether or not to believe you." I plead with her for understand.

She yanks her arm from my grip and turns toward me. "Okay, if you must know, he threatened… threatened…" She trails off and looks to the ground again. "These men, they can make things happen, make them look like accidents. I didn't want to attack them, but they had to know that I'm not the person they want to cross." She looks at me and a fire shines in the glacial gaze that she normally has. "They will not threaten my sister without consequence. I just taught them my true power."

I look at her skeptically, trying to wade through the passionate words. "Then, they deserved it, but, I think they need more." I crack my knuckles in preparation of a beatdown.

She grabs my arm and swats my shoulder. "Stop. We don't need you going to prison because of something I've already dealt with. Don't you believe that I'm capable of taking care of me and mine?"

I flounder with words, trying to say this right. "Well, you are a strong woman, but I just want to teach them a lesson."

She puts her hands on her hips in indignation. "So, what you're saying is that you truly don't think that I'm capable of taking care of this situation."

I wave my arms in front of me. "No, no, no. That is not what I'm trying to say at all. All I saying is that if this caused you to go back to drinking, then I don't think you handled it correctly!" My voice raises, and I know that what I said and how I said it was all wrong. Those words ring in my head, and I instantly regret them. I clutch my head in frustration as she just looks at me flabbergasted. "Not that either! That's not what I meant!"

She huffs at me, her aggravation showing clearly on her face and in her posture. "Then, what, pray tell, did you mean!?" Her voice goes up an octave in her anger.

"Ah! It's just that everything you did was out of character for you, and I'm just worried and scared!" My voice breaks a bit and I wince at the whine apparent in it.

I see her falter from her stance for just a second at my shouting. "That's not what you were implying!" Now, it seems that we're having a yelling match in the middle of the sidewalk. I look around to see if anybody has heard, but the streets are deserted at this hour.

She starts to turn around on her heels, but I catch her. "That's what I meant, even if it didn't come out right." I attempt to portray The Face, which my nieces have thoroughly perfected, in an attempt to make her smile and calm her.

She shakes her head at me, but doesn't crack the smile that I anticipated. "You say what you mean, Qrow, always." And with that, she leaves me there, in the middle of the sidewalk, clutching at air. I'm too shocked to move, but, as she disappears from my sight, I know that standing here won't help me. I'll have to find her and apologize in the morning, or worse, to admit that she was right. I run my hands through my hair roughly. "Godsdamnit!"

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 **A/N: Yes, a cliffhanger. Yes, Winter walked away. No, Qrow didn't go after her. Big mistake, huh guys. Big mistake. But don't worry, things that need to happen happens. And, personally, I don't like writing fights such as these, but at least I stuck with my beliefs. A man should never hit a woman, no matter how much they feel it might be necessary. Winter is a bit irrational right now, so just bear with me. And things that need to happen happens. Follow, favorite, review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5, guys! Yay! And, yes, this chapter title is a pun. I blame my friend, who is a Yang Admin on FB. And shoutouts to all 33 of my followers on this story. You know who you are! Love you guys! Love you who are just reading it too, but I wish you'd follow, favorite, and review. Anyways... Chapter 5!**

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Chapter 5: A Reconciliation for a Win

It's really early in the morning. I never left Vale, though my brain kept telling me to go back home to my warm, cozy bed to get some sleep. Then again, my heart was telling me to stay as close to Winter as possible, just in case she calms down enough and calls me. Of course, she hasn't called me yet. Throughout the whole night, my scroll has been completely silent, and I've been awaiting a call for reconciliation. I don't know why I don't just call, but I feel like I shouldn't. I just, I don't know. I feel like she should be the one apologizing, but I know we were both a little out of bounds last night.

I clutch my head in anger and kick a light pole, almost toppling it. "Ah! Why me?" The question was but a whisper, and I hope no one sees me make such a fool of myself. I walk back to the place where she left me standing, hoping that she'd be there too, but there's no such luck. I run my hand through my hair again, and at this rate, I swear I'll be bald before I'm forty. I sigh, and give in to the temptation baring down on me and call her. The scroll makes the dial tone, but she doesn't answer. I try again and get the same result. I stuff my scroll into my pocket angrily. "Godsdamnit!"

The only thing I have left is to search for her on foot. I start walking in the direction that she had the night before. I scan the area for any sign of her and pray that she's near. I feel my heart constrict at the idea of her leaving me. I know that it hasn't been all that long since I've known her, but that's all the more reason to search harder. I increase my effort and check my scroll again. As I checked the screen, an app catches my eye. The app's a locator of some sort. It has the ability to track numbers. I'd forgotten that I added it after Yang and Ruby went to Beacon so I could find them if they were ever in trouble. I click on the app and drag Winter's number to the drop box and wait for it to load. Surprisingly, the location seems to be a small hotel just down the road from where I'm standing. I memorize the address and take off, sprinting toward my goal.

I stop in front of the little hotel and take a deep breath. I stroll inside and look for the desk. Walking up to the desk, I get the concierge's, or whatever you want to call them, attention. "Uh, yeah. Do you have a Winter Schnee staying here?"

The attendant looks up from his computer. "Sir, we can't divulge that information."

I rub my hand over my face. "Please, I know she's here. Just tell me which room. I'd hate to have to search every one of them." I put my hands on the counter for support. Just then, the tiny elevator dings and reveals Winter within it. I gasp at her appearance and start to run toward her. She hasn't even noticed me yet, and she proceeds to walk out of the elevator and toward the exit. I race after her, dodging the few people in the lobby. She's really good at disappearing because, by the time I run out of the door, all I can see is a small bit of white in a sea of people. I run after that white, hoping against hope that it's her.

I get closer and closer to that white figure, and soon enough see her. I grin in victory as I move to intercept her. The only thing I can do is yell out for her right now. "Winter!" She looks over her shoulder and stops, her mouth agape. I catch up and stop only a few feet in front of her, cautiously gauging her expression for any sign of running. "Winter…" My voice gets soft as my thoughts run through an apology. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

She looks at me in surprise. "I thought you had gone home.." Her voice trails off as she hugs herself. "I was going to go to your house." She shifts her head a bit to look in the direction of Patch. "I had to apologize." Her eyes cast downward as she looks at the ground.

I take her face in one hand and make her look me in the eyes. "We were both to blame for last night."

She shakes her head from my grip and looks off into the distance. "But I was drunk and… and… irrational, and I…"

I put my finger to her lips to quiet her. "You had a reason to relapse. You had gone through one of the most crushing experiences in the eyes of a military career woman. That, and the drinking, gave you a very understandable excuse for being irrational."

She bats my hand away. "How can you be so understanding!?" Her voice raises, and she seems to notice. She inhales very slow and exhales the same way.

I give her a crooked smile. "I kinda started it, I think, so I get it." I gesture towards myself before speaking again. "And plus, I was a drunk once upon a time. I know these things." I tap my temple with a finger. "I'm just sorry that I didn't trust you to take care of yourself."

She runs a hand down her face. "No, no, you were just being protective, I guess. I shouldn't have overreacted like that." She gives me a shaky smile, which I reciprocate.

I give a snort. "Is this going to turn into another argument? Cause that's what it seems to be turning into." I chuckle under my breath.

She laughs lightly, barely there really. "I hope not. So, are we, you know, still together?" She wrings her fingers together nervously while asking this.

I give her one of my biggest smiles and step closer to her. Grabbing her waist, I pull her toward me and look deeply into her eyes. "Of course. I'm not going to stop loving you just because we had a fight." My voice is but a whisper as I move my head, and lips, closer to hers.

She stops my advance with a hand. "Not in public, Qrow. I can't be the front page again. Please." I back off, understanding her reluctance.

I extend my elbow out to her in a gentlemanly fashion. "M'lady?" I give her a goofy grin when she takes my arm. "Shall we adjourn to my estate?"

She laughs outright. "If your house is an estate, then Beacon is an elementary school."

I stick my tongue out at her. "You can be so mean sometimes, Win."

She pats my shoulder, the one on her side. "Only to you, love. Others would probably be in the hospital by now."

I chuckle. "That I believe." I pat the hand that's wrapped around my arm. "Which makes me wonder why I'm not there right now."

"Ha! Right, like I could put you in the hospital. If anything, we'd both be there!" She looks at me with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

I wink at her. "Oh, I highly doubt that, babe. If anything, neither of us would be there. I'm pretty sure that we'd stop fighting as soon as we noticed the immense damage that we'd have inflicted on the place we chose to fight at. And with no Glynda around, that'd be hard to pay for." I laugh as that last bit puts into my mind a pocket sized Glynda that I'd pull out to fix everything.

I wipe a tear from my eye as Winter gives me a very curious, yet entertained, glance. "What are you cackling on about?"

I take a deep breath to keep the laughter at bay. "A pocket Glynda." The laughter breaks through, and I'm at it again.

She gives a slight laugh before shaking her head at my childish thoughts. I calm down again, experiencing only minor bursts of laughter after that. "Remind me not to try to comprehend whatever goes on in your mind."

"Will do, Win. Will do." I give her a mock, two finger salute and a lopsided grin.

We arrive at the airfield and board the airship heading for Patch. I breath a deep sigh when I think about Winter having no job anymore. I study her carefully. To any passerby, she'd look pretty relaxed, but I know. The way she crinkles her forehead in thought, the way her fingers seem to tap at the air, or the way her jaw clenches ever so slightly every now and then gives me all the evidence of her stress that I need. I shake my head and look out the window, trying to take my mind off of everything that's happened so far, but my eyes seem to continue to stray towards the white haired beauty next to me. All I want to do is take all of the weight off of her shoulders and bear the burden for her, but I know that she'd never allow it. She's too independent, too strong. I smile at this. I've always imagined that would be the type I'd go for. Fate sure works in mysterious way, giving me everything I'd ever want or need in a woman.

Soon, we arrive on Patch, and Winter stands stiffly. She's reverted back to her uncomfortable looking way of walking, like she's in the presence of some tycoons or something. I walk up behind her and lay my hand on her shoulder. I feel her lean into my touch when she realized it was only me. "Winter, what are you gonna do now?"

Her steps slowed, gradually, to a stop. I could feel the terror rolling off of her in waves at the unknown future ahead of her. "I… I… d-don't know." She's so close to breaking into tears that I just pull her along and head for my car, which is parked at the edge of the field exactly where I left it. When we're inside, I let her lay her head on my shoulder and get all of the stress induced tears out of her system.

I lift her head off of my shoulder so that we're eye level. "Winter, you do realize that you're a well trained Huntress with military training, don't you? You could have any job you want, barring credentials required, even with a dishonorable discharge."

She sniffles and wipes her nose on a handkerchief she pulls out of thin air. "I know this. I truly do, but I don't want to do anything wild anymore. I've had my fill of killing. I want a mundane job, but not something that would waste the training I've put into perfecting my combat skills."

I wrack my brain for possible positions for her when it hits me. "You could teach!" I throw my arms up as much as the car would allow.

She looks at me quizzically. "Teach. Are you crazy?"

I wave my hand in front of me. "No, hear me out. Okay, see, you could teach combat school. You'd be able to pass your expertise on to a whole new generation while still maintaining your own skills! Occasionally, you'd have to eliminate a Grimm horde or two, but that's nothing!"

She looks away, seeming to be deep in thought. "That's… that's brilliant, Qrow." The words are soft, but they ring loud and clear.

I mentally pump my fist into the air. "So, where do you wanna teach?" I look at her expectantly, waggling my eyebrows at her.

My hint seems to get to her as she smirks at me. She leans into me and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Signal, of course. Do you think they'll have an opening."

I give her my usual lopsided grin. "I think something will open up." I lean and connect my lips to hers in a passionate kiss, expressing all the love and concern I can. The kiss evolves, though, into something rife with the lust I try to suppress. I cup her cheeks to try to bring her as close as the car will allow, but with that pesky divider in the middle, it's pretty hard to do. She wraps her arms around my neck, most likely caught up in the moment. I run my tongue around her lips and ask for entry. The last time we had gotten this far, we were horribly interrupted by Ironwood, but now, I push the thoughts of him away and absorb myself in the woman before me. Our tongues battle for dominance, sliding over each other seductively.

She pulls away for a breath and blinks at me. She bites her lip and unwinds her arms from behind my head, pulling away completely. "I'm sorry. I can't… I… we can't. Not yet, okay?"

I look at her in confusion, but understanding suddenly dawns on me. "Oh. Oh, of course. That's… okay." I nod my head like an idiot, slightly disappointed, but I know I'll get over it eventually. I know I want to have sex. I mean, she beautiful and sexy and, wait… off topic. I want to, but for her, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. It just means a lot of cold showers in the future, starting with the one I'm going to definitely need when I get home.

She looks at me sadly and puts her hand on mine. "I want this relationship to last, and sex just complicates things. So, please, for me?"

I give her another lopsided grin. "Anything for you, babe." I kiss her cheek softly. "Anything." With that, I start the car and drive home after a very, very long day.

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 **A/N: I could have ended in a lemon, I wanted to, but I don't feel ready for that. I was definitely blushing the entire make-out scene, hoping that my sister didn't walk in and start reading over my shoulder as I typed it out. Woo... But, anywho, they made up and made out. What more could you ask for, besides a sexual encounter? Hmmmm. Follow, Favorite, Review. Thank you for reading! *waves***


	6. Chapter 6

**So, this is the longest chapter for this story. I think the title speaks for itself, don't you? Thank you, all of you, and especially the 42 followers of this story, the 26 who favorited it, the 7 reviewers, and the 3,000 odd views! Love you guys! Chapter six, have you fix... with some Snowbird!**

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Chapter 6: To Meet the Family

It's been an incredible four months, the best months of my life so far. Winter, with her extensive resume, was accepted to teach at Signal. Even with her dissolved connections, she had an amazing list of contacts that thoroughly vouched for her. It was pretty incredible to see, actually. The Headmaster's face was priceless when she walked into his office and applied for a position. I swear all he did was keep nodding. When we left, I was laughing my butt off. That certainly went well.

She started teaching the very next day. She was already well-known by the students, so there wasn't much in the way of introductions. THey loved her immediately. She's strict, but there's definitely something about her that just draws you in, you know? Anyway, her students definitely love her. When she teaches, she lights up the room, and you can't help but listen. Her every word and movement grabs the attention of even the least attentive student in the class. I know that one day that I walked in, the entire room was quiet except for her. It was awe inspiring.

She adjusted well to the school. In just four short months, I see her go from timid, which is very much unlike her, back to her usual, confident and snarky self. That transformation put a smile on my face. The entirety of her assimilation back into a normal, or somewhat normal considering the students, routine is amazing. To think, she bounced back so quickly.

Our relationship has also grown stronger. Since she was disowned, we've been living together. We've had our fair share of fights, sure, but overall, it's been like heaven. She's perfect. I don't know how I've lived without her for so long. Six months, and she has me hooked on every aspect of her. She can even cook! I mean, personally, I think I got the better end of the deal in this relationship.

I'm snapped out of my revelry by a voice. "Qrow, stop daydreaming and help me pack. We have that Relatives Day at Beacon tomorrow, remember?"

I laugh nervously and scratch the top of my head. "Eh huh, I kinda did forget. Sorry."

She gives a small huff of annoyance. "Well, now you know, so chop chop. We have to be in a hotel by tonight. I want to be there bright and early. I want you to meet Weiss." She turns on her heels and starts to walk away.

I pop up off the couch. "And you can meet Ruby and Yang!" I go to pack, throwing random clothes into my suitcase.

Winter's standing in the doorway, tapping her foot on the floor and shaking her head at my actions. "You're such a child."

Her smile actually diminishes the blow of the insult, but I fake hurt. "That hurts, Win." I tap the place on my chest where my heart should be. "Right in here. Right in here."

She walks over to me and swats my arm. "Don't be such a baby and straighten your pile of clothing. Make sure to pack warm. Vale is the same temperature as Patch this time of year, and I don't want you catching pneumonia." She pulls out her own bag and carefully folds each article, sticking it in the bag.

"I've got an Aura. I won't catch pneumonia. Plus, I always wear pants and a jacket. How much warmer can I get?" I scoff at her lecturing but fold my clothes and carefully place them in my suitcase. "And we're only going to be gone two days. Why do I need to pack so much?"

"I like to be prepared, as you already know." She closes her bag and moves it to beside the door. "Now, finish up. We have to catch the airship in a little while. I don't want to miss it." She walks out of the room, leaving me to complete my folding.

This weekend is going to be so exciting. I can't wait to show Winter off to my nieces. They're gonna love her, and I really hope she loves them. They can be a bit… rambunctious, but I'm sure everything will be fine. I mean, her sister's going to Beacon, too, so it shouldn't be that bad.

I finish putting all of the clothes into my suitcase and sit it next to Winter's bag. Then, I make my way toward the kitchen to get a snack before we have to catch our flight off the island. I walk in to see Winter making a sandwich with one already made on the counter. "This one's yours, so leave the one on the counter alone." I reach for hers very slowly, but suddenly, a blur goes by, her hand smacking mine.

"Ow!" I hold my hand, rubbing it to try to alleviate the pain. "That really hurt, Winter." I pout, my bottom lip poking out. "Why'd you do that?"

She waves a butter knife at me. "I did warn you, Qrow. I told you not to touch my sandwich, but what do you try to do?"

I pout more as I rub my hand. "To touch it." I hang my head, looking at the floor. She waves a sandwich in front of my eyes, causing me to look up at her and smile. I grab the food from her and give her a short peck on the cheek. "Thanks, babe. You're the best."

She gives me a smug look. "I know." Then, she takes a bite of her sandwich.

I chew it carefully, noticing the weird, yet strangely good, flavor. "Hey, what is this, anyway?"

She swallows that bite and looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "Ham and cheese, Qrow. What else?"

I shake my head at her. "No, there's gotta be something else. What is it?" I take another bite, not really caring what's in it, just that it's good.

She shrugs. "Maybe the mustard? I think I bought a different brand this month." She picks up the mustard jar and checks the label. Shrugging, she takes another bite of her sandwich. "It's good, though, right?"

I wipe my mouth after finishing the entire thing. "Yep! So, we need to get. Hurry up. I'll get the bags into the car." I run to the room, grab the bags and my weapon, and make my way toward the car. By the time I have everything in the trunk, Winter's in the car, buckling up. I chuckle at her speed, and as I get into the car, I comment on it. "Well, that was fast. What's the big rush?"

She just gives me a small glare and crosses her arms. I hold my hands up in defeat then start the car. I back out of the driveway and head to the airfield. The whole trip was horribly boring. It was mostly just an uneventful drive and flight, which equates to boring in my book. Now, we're in out hotel room, on discount for Relatives Day, of course. Man, I love Beacon. I smile out the window, which has a pretty good view of the inlet that starts just at the base of the cliff. I turn to Winter to see her gently transferring her stuff from her bag to the chest of drawers that comes standard to the rooms.

I clap my hands and rub them together. "What are we gonna do now, Winter?"

She rolls her eyes at my eagerness. "What do want to do, Qrow?" She closes the drawer and turns to me.

"Oh, oh. Can we go to Beacon early? Please, Winter?" I clasp my hands in front of myself, practically begging her.

She pinches the bridge of her nose. "Qrow, please. Can you wait just one more day. It's almost dark, so don't you think that it would be preferable to go early in the morning instead of late in the evening?"

I scratch the top of my head, embarrassed. "Yeah, you're right. I was just so excited to meet your sister and for you to meet my nieces." I scrub a hand down my face. "So, you wanna just stay in, order room service?"

Winter gives me a smile and hugs me. "I'm excited, too, Qrow, but please contain it. I'm tired from the flight, and I'd love to go to bed. Order room service if you must, but please try to be at least a little quiet." She walks up to me and gives me a quick peck on the lips before retreating into the bathroom.

I yell through the door. "Anything, love." I call for room service and decide on pizza, because I want something that won't spoil or taste horrible if it gets cold for Winter. I settle down in bed and click the tv. on, flicking through the channels until I find one of those weird, Hunter based cartoons that Ruby always seems to enjoy. Winter chooses that moment to step out of the bathroom with her slightly wet hair and a night gown. It's not like the sight is new, but wow, she still takes my breath away.

She climbs into bed next to me, gives me a kiss on the cheek, and turns over. "Goodnight. Love you."

I smile at her almost sleeping figure. "Love you, too, babe." I turn my attention back to the tv. and wait for my food to arrive.

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The next morning, I'm awoken by a light coming in from the window. I'm temporarily blinded by it, but soon adjust my vision. I shake my head and rub my eyes to clear myself of the sleep. I look over to where Winter should be only to find an empty space. I yawn and stretch, looking around the room. The bathroom light's on, and Winter peaks out with a toothbrush in her hand. "Morning, Qrow. Hurry up and get ready. Beacon opens for visitors in less than an hour."

My eyes go wide, and I jump out of bed. I rummage through my suitcase for my usual outfit. I shoo Winter out of the bathroom, at her protest because she's still brushing her teeth. It only took me a few minutes to get ready, and I walk out to see a very mad Winter sitting on the bed, holding her toothbrush. I rub the back of my head and laugh nervously when I see her plainly aggravated expression."Eh huh, sorry, Win."

She just shakes her head and walks past me, but before she closes the door, she flicks me in the back of the head. "Try to refrain from kicking me out of the restroom next time, Qrow."

I rub where she flicked me. "Sure thing. I'll try." I just turn around, sit on the bed and stare at the bathroom door, waiting for her to exit so that we can begin this exciting day.

One taxi, a bullhead ride, and a short walk to the gardens brings us to Beacon Academy. I breathe in the air that I haven't smelled for a long while and turn to see Winter's reaction. She has a bright smile on her face and her head tilted toward the sun. I guess she really likes Beacon. A smile comes to my lips as I watch her literally shine as the sun lights around her body. She looks like an alabaster angel standing in the newly fallen snow of early December. I sigh as I bask in her beauty, thanking my lucky stars that she's with me.

I'm interrupted by my thoughts by a red blur bulldozing into me. I keep myself from falling and look down. Ruby has a hold of my arm, squeezing it quite tightly. I lift her up to eye level and give her a lopsided smile. "Hey kiddo, how've ya been?"

She beams at me and I ruffle her hair. "I've been amazing! Did ya miss me?"

I laugh a little at her question, and just to mess with her, I say, "nope," and give her another grin. Just then, a yellow blob barrels into me, taking me to the ground. All I hear is Winter crying out, "Qrow!" before my head hits the sidewalk.

"Yang, get off me! What the hell?" I push her off of me and rub the back of my head. "God bless, that hurt. What have you been eating?"

Yang looks at me incredulously. "Did you just call me fat?" She puts her hands on her hips and lifts one eyebrow, waiting for me to answer.

I open and close my mouth for a few seconds, looking around for anyone to help me out of this situation. Winter walks up to us with an almost identical, if somewhat smaller, girl beside her. They even have similar poses. Winter looks at me expectantly, waiting for the answer to Yang's question as well. "Uh… No?"

Yang just shifts from her right foot to her left. "Is that a question?"

"Uh… No, I didn't call you fat." I flinch, preparing for any move that Yang could possibly make on me.

Her stance relaxes, and she pulls me in for one of her famous bear hugs. "Oh, I've missed you, Uncle Qrow!" She picks me up off the ground with the force of her hug.

I start to lose the ability to breathe, even with the amount of times I've had to endure this from her. "Yang… can't… breathe." She lets me go, and Winter catches me before I hit the ground.

I breathe in and out deeply, trying to assess whether or not I have any broken ribs, but Winter beats me to it. "You don't have any broken bones, so you're okay, babe." She has that amused twinkle in her eye, and I can't help but smile.

I get up and brush off my jacket. "Well, then. It seems like you girls have been training, especially with that hug, Yang. Gods, that one was stronger than any of the ones you've given me before!"

She puffs up proudly and flexes her arm. "Yep, I been workin' out." She strikes several very funny poses in an effort to look tough. "See these puppies?"

I poke one of her biceps. "Impressive."

The Winter look-alike clears her throat. I turn around to see her eying me curiously. "My name is Weiss Schnee, part of Team RWBY. Pleasure to meet you."

She holds her rights hand out, and I take it, shaking it softly. "Nice to meet you, Weiss. Winter's told me so much about you. I just had no idea you were on the same team as my nieces!" I let go of her hand and throw my arms up dramatically. I turn to Winter accusingly. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

She puts her hand to her heart. "Me? Weiss never told me their names. All she did was do very remarkable descriptions." She eyes Ruby and Yang carefully. "But, come to think of it, they do look exactly as Weiss described."

All three of the girls give us these really confused looks, and personally, I find them funny. Before they could ask what I know they're going to ask, a voice speaks from behind me. "Guys, I'm trying to read, could you keep it down?"

I turn around to see a dark haired girl sitting in a tree, reading. Yang pipes up and gives her a thumbs up. "Sure thing, Blakey." Yang is fixing to shoo us off when I see that look of realization on her face. She facepalms and gestures toward the girl. "Wait, Uncle Qrow, this is Blake Belladonna. She's the B of Team RWBY."

The girl gives a tiny wave, never looking from her book. Then, suddenly, her book closes. "Qrow? As in Qrow Branwen?"

"Uh… Yeah?" I give her a very curious look.

She throws a magazine at me, and I deftly catch it. I pull my eyes from the curious girl and look at the magazine. The cover has an up close picture of Winter and I about to kiss. I feel a flash of anger and pass the magazine to Winter. I look back up to find the girl gone. I start to turn around but see Blake beside me. Before I could ask her how she did that, she speaks. "Congratulations, by the way. I'm going to go find Sun and his family. I'll see the rest of you tonight." With that, she walks away and practically disappears from my sight.

I look at Yang, then. "How does she…"

Yang holds up a hand. "She's a ninja."

I nod my head like that explains everything. I look over to a panicked Winter. "I thought we were being so careful! How did they even get this picture?!" She looks at me reproachfully. I shake my head, not knowing how they had ever gotten this shot.

Weiss, then, pops up in between us and grabs the magazine. She flips to the article inside. "This says that you two are dating." She looks up at us for affirmation. We both nod, and I grab Winter's hand. "My sister, Ruby's uncle…" She faints, plain and simple. The grass is relatively soft, so we're not too worried.

Ruby is the first to react, racing to her side and cradling her head. "Weiss? Weiss, wake up." Ruby looks at us frantically.

Yang makes the next move as Winter and I just stand there with a slightly amused expression. Yang cracks her knuckles and moves toward Weiss. "I got this." She leans close to Weiss' head. "Hey, princess, I can see your panties."

Weiss pops up and quickly goes to cover herself, only to find that she didn't need to. "Hey!"

Yang busts out laughing, holding her sides. "That was priceless. Made me want to have a camera." She continues to laugh.

Ruby tackles Weiss to the ground. "Weissy, you're okay!"

Weiss tries to push Ruby off, but can't, so she decides to just embrace her in turn. "Of course, you dolt. I was just in shock."

Ruby pulls away to give a puppy-like tilt to her head. "What's so shocking? They're together." She turns to look at us. "I think it's sweet."

Weiss stands up and helps Ruby up, too. "Sweet?!" She looks from Winter to me. "How did I not know about this? How long has this been going on!? Does Father know?"

Winter was the first to answer her sister's questions. "Yes, sweet. I didn't want to tell you, yet. We've been together six months, and Father has nothing to do with this."

Weiss' mouth hangs open. "Why wouldn't you want me to know?"

Winter gives her a very smug look. "One of the same reasons why you didn't want to tell me about Ruby."

I look between Weiss and Ruby to see them both blushing furiously. Yang walks up to me while no one's paying attention. She waggles her eyebrows suggestively. "You and Ice Queen Senior? Nice." She holds up her fist for a fist bump.

I connect my fist with hers. "I know, right?" I have one of the biggest grins I've ever had on my face. Both Yang and Ruby approve. I give a mental fist pump and tune back into the conversation to hear Weiss sputtering while Ruby walks up to hold her hand. "Oh, that's just adorable." I mentally facepalm at speaking my thoughts as Weiss turns to me with a death glare that could rival her sister's. "Eh ?." I rub the back of my head nervously.

Ruby just beams at me, while Weiss rubs her temple. "Thanks, Uncle Qrow! And congrats to you, too."

Yang, ever the one to find the weirdness in a situation, speaks up. "Wait, so Weiss is going to be my aunt by marriage and sister-in-law? Oh, this is confusing." She clutches her head as if she's in pain.

I reach over and throw my arm around her shoulders. "Don't think too hard there, kid. You might set your hair on fire."

She reaches for her hair before she gets the joke, or at least she thinks she gets the joke. "Har har. You know I'm fireproof." That one went right over her head, but she does make a good point. She nudges me with her elbow a little too forcefully, making me hold my stomach.

Winter looks at us in amusement. "Alright, now that everybody's met, how about lunch? We've been out here for a little while, and it's almost noon. Let's head to Vale and get a nice meal." Everybody jumps at her offer, even me, though I'm probably paying. The rest of the day flows well, ending with some fireworks that Ozpin arranges. I can't wait for next year!

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 **A/N: How was that? I thought I got their reactions almost spot on. What do you think? The epilogue is next, just wait for it. :P And, really, I apologize for all the domesticity in the fic. I just wanted to show you the development of their relationship. They're basically married the way they're progressing. *wink wink* Follow, favorite, review!**


	7. Epilogue

**I couldn't just leave you hanging from the last chapter. I wanted to tell you guys some things, and this was the only way to let all of you receive the information. So, I made an epilogue. Thank you my 42 followers, 26 favoriters, and 7 people that reviewed so far. You guys were what kept this story even going. Love y'all! Enjoy peoples! Love you guys.**

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Epilogue

Today is the day. I've decided to put all of my romantic intentions into this day. After that Relatives Day at Beacon three months ago, I've decided to propose. The nerves and excitement is getting to me while I plan all of this. With a few helpful tips from Yang and Blake, I was able to put together one the most romantic things I've ever attempted. They're going to help me pull this off without a hitch.

I breathe deeply and push all of the anxiety to the back of my mind. I'm sitting in the living room, all decked out in a rented tux. It's white with black accents. I forego my cape, though I usually don't go anywhere without it. I want this to be perfect. I want this to be special, for her to feel special. I hear the click of heels down the hallway and turn my head in that direction. Winter steps out of the shadows wearing a beautiful, glacial blue dress that matches her eyes wonderfully. It's simple, with only a small amount of diamond like gems trailing down from her left shoulder, across the slightly low cut collar, and down to the bottom seam of her dress, which reached to just below her ankles. Her hair is adorned with a tiny tiara that sits at the base of a free flowing ponytail at the top center of her head. Her bangs are the same but for some tiny gems on the top of them. I wonder how she got them to stay.

I'm star struck at the sight of her. The only thing that I can babble out is, "Beautiful…"

A hint of a blush creeps onto her cheeks. :You don't look too bad yourself. So, why did you insist I dress up?"

I give a sly, lopsided grin. "Because it's my date night choice, and I wanna eat somewhere fancy."

She shakes her head, making her ponytail, and dress surprisingly, sway side to side. "Whatever. Come on, let's get this over with." She opens the door and makes her way to the car.

I sigh at her less than pleased tone. Maybe this was a bad idea. My nerves start to get to me, and I follow her out of the house and to the car before I can think enough to change my mind. The drive to the restaurant isn't all that bad. I picked a place on Patch so that we wouldn't have to take a bullhead to the mainland. I sigh, hoping I dodged a bullet there. My scroll rings, and I see that it's Blake. I transfer the call to my earpiece so that Winter can't overhear anything.

"The plan is a go. The restaurant is virtually empty." Blake is so into this. I smile at her mission vernacular.

"Understood. I'll be there. Count on it being soon." I try to make this conversation as short as possible. Winter's already looking at me suspiciously.

"Affirmative. Over and out."

The call is disconnected, and I turn to see Winter staring at me intensely. "What was that?"

I sweat drop. "Uh, that was the, um, owner of the restaurant. He wanted to know if we were still going to make our reservations." I hope she doesn't question it.

She still looks at me skeptically, but she dismisses it. "Fine." She looks out the window, and I see her expression in the reflection. She looks so confused and kind of, weirdly, pained. My heart breaks at the sight. She didn't even look like that when she was discharged. My anxiety skyrockets. Maybe I shouldn't have done this. I want to turn around now, but we arrive at the restaurant. I park on the street just across from the entrance.

I jump out of the car and run over to her side to hold the door open. I bow slightly. "M'lady." I beam at her, but she barely returns it. Just a small smile graces her lips. We, then, proceed to the entrance.

A waiter is there, prepared to seat us. "Right this way."

I hook her hand on my arm and follow behind the man. We stop in front of a table for two. I slide the seat out for Winter to sit, then promptly go to my own seat across from her. My foot is silently tapping under the table as I try to alleviate the build up of nerves I'm having. I have to wait until dessert until I can make my move. I breathe in quietly, calming myself before I look up at the waiter.

"What will you be having to drink?"

I look over at Winter, who has plastered a fake smile on for the occasion. My little bit of confidence fades. Winter addresses the waiter very stiffly. "I'll have the Chardonnay, please, and not the swill you'd pass it off as."

I clear my throat. This isn't going as I planned. She was supposed to be happy that I'm taking her to a fancy schmancy establishment for date night. "I'll have water, please." I'm just trying to keep my wits about me. The waiter leaves us.

Winter looks at me in surprise. "You usually get Scotch. What's wrong?" The concern leaks from her tone, capturing my attention.

I swallow hard. I hate lying to her. Plus, she always seems to know when I lie, anyway. "Nothing, love, absolutely nothing." I put on the best smile I can manage to try to make her concern dissipate, but I know that it only causes her to worry more.

Winter's expression flashes to anger and then back to concern so fast that I thought I imagined it. She shakes her head lightly. "No, it's not nothing, Qrow. Tell me." Her voice catches a bit at the last part, and I almost spill the surprise.

I look at her, the anxiety weighing down on me. "I can't, not yet." I plead with my eyes for her to understand. "Can we talk about it later? Please?"

She crosses her arms over her chest, giving me a very determined look. "Fine, but this isn't finished."

Thankfully, the waiter returns with our drinks. He takes the wine bottle out and shows her the label. The years of being force fed her high society education has paid off. She inspects the label and nods for him to pour it into the glass. He concentrates on the glass and pours it to her specifications then leaves the bottle on the table. He looks at us expectantly. "Would you desire an appetizer?"

I glance at Winter, silently asking her. She shakes her head at me. "No, I don't think so. We can go right to the entrée." I breathe a sigh of relief that I can rid myself of my anxiety and anticipation that much sooner.

I gesture for Winter to go first. "I believe I will have your Fettuccini Alfredo, and you, Qrow?"

"I'll have the steak, medium, please." I smile a little at the thought of food, but soon frown, thinking that I might not even be able to eat it if my stomach keeps churning like this. I clutch my stomach as the butterflies overtake me.

Winter's face still has that same concerned expression on it, but underneath, I can see the sadness. My heart clenches in my chest at just seeing that emotion in her eyes. It makes her eyes look duller instead of the usual vibrance that's shining through. I sigh at this. I didn't expect this reaction at all. I wish I can call Yang for a quick pep talk, but I can't just pull out my scroll in the middle of a date. So, I just imagine what she'd say. She'd say something like, 'Come on, Uncle Qrow! You can do this. Be a man,' or some other non-supportive words that will make me rethink making her my go-to peptalker. I sigh mentally while trying to keep a straight face.

The waiter comes back with our food. The steak looks delicious, as does Winter's Fettuccini. I lick my lips in anticipation of the flavor, temporarily forgetting the anxiety fluttering in my stomach. I thank the waiter and dig in. I slow my roll when I see Winter lift her eyebrow at my suddenly barbarous behavior. I start to eat slower, chewing completely before going for another bite. Winter nods her head, and a genuine smile graces her lips. Albeit, its small, but it's still a smile. I give a lopsided grin at this development.

Soon enough, we both finish our entrées. The waiter is quick with taking our plates away, leaving only a dessert menu and our drinks behind. He returns just as quickly. I stand and gesture for him to come here, and I pull him aside and whisper what I want into his ear. Winter lifts her eyebrow at my action but says nothing. I give her a reassuring smile as I retake my seat. A few minutes later, a cart is rolled up to our table. I smile as I see that my specifications were carried out to the T. He puts two champagne flutes on the table. They're not clear glass, but opaque and blurry. The dessert on the cart is chocolate cake, your favorite, and to tell the truth, mine as well. I pass Winter her flute filled with champagne, but not before I covertly slip the ring into her glass.

I sigh in relief as I finish the second to last step in my plan. This is almost done. All I have to do now is not choke when I ask. The waiter replaces the wine bottle with the champagne and bucket of ice and puts our slices of cake in front of us before leaving with the cart. Winter drink some of the champagne, and I see her confusion when she turns the glass up.

I see her pluck the ring out, and I get on one knee beside her. Winter looks down at me with tears in her eyes, and I take that as my queue to start. I take her hand. "Winter, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever met, inside and out. When you first sat across from me, I believed you to be an angel, sent from heaven to light up my world. And you have. You are the light that shined for me in the darkness I was falling into. You pulled me out of my horrible slump, whether you knew it or not. I find that I can't live without you and your brightness. Will you marry me?" I take a deep breath, awaiting her answer.

She throws her arms around me and whispers in my ear. "Yes, a thousand times yes."

I grab her shoulders and push her away from me a bit so that I can slide the ring onto her finger. "I can't believe you said yes."

She scoffs at me. "Of course I'd say yes. My only question is: why tonight?"

I give her a lopsided smile. "It's the first day of spring. Today is the day of new beginnings. I thought you'd appreciate my symbolism."

She gives me a genuine smile as I stand. "It was very thought out, wasn't it?"

I nod once. "This took more planning than I've ever had to concoct in all my life. But it was all worth it the moment you said yes." I extend my hand for her to take.

She swats my shoulder but continues to smile. "You're so cheesy."

"That's just how I am, babe, especially with you around." I waggle my eyebrows.

This is how I wanted my night to end, with her in my arms and her wearing my ring. I smile at this, knowing that this couldn't have been more perfect. Then, she pulls away and takes her seat again. I give her a questioning look. "What? There's chocolate cake. You don't expect me to waste it, do you?"

I chuckle at her excitement over cake. "Of course not, dear. How could u ever expect you to waste such a delicacy." I place the back of my hand to my forehead in a false swoon as I sit down.

As I eat and finish my cake, I replay tonight's events in my head, but mostly focus on when she said yes. My heart soars every time I imagine that little playback. I close my eyes and savor this exhilarating feeling, the feeling of success, the feeling of having everything, and everyone, I want. I sigh in happiness at long last. I look up to see Winter staring at me curiously. "What?"

She gives me a smile. "What's with that look?"

"What look?"

She points to my face. "That look, like you just got handed the world on a platinum platter."

I grunt. "Hey, I'll have you know that I'm just happy right now."

She lifts her eyebrow, something she seems to be doing a lot lately. "Whatever for?"

I just give her my trademark, lopsided grin. "Because I have you."

"You're so cheesy." She takes a sip of the champagne.

I shake my head. "You walked right into that one."

That night, the banter was spectacular. Nothing could possibly bring me down, not even the exorbitant cost of our meal, because it was all toward a much more fulfilling goal. I can't believe that I'm finally engaged, completing my life, and making my world whole. Winter Schnee is mine, and I am hers. What more could a man ask for?

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 **A/N: Hmmm. I feel like I should have addressed some more things, but I find myself having spent more time than I wanted to on this story. Truthfully, it was supposed to be a one-shot, but I couldn't have fit all the stuff that I wanted to in just one little drabble. I hope this fulfilled whatever curiosity that you would have liked me to. I do take requests, so just PM me if you want a story. Anywho, this is the end, so review for, will ya? Love you guys, readers of my stories! *waves***


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